


Tea is the Best Calming Ritual

by Ziggymia123



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love Triangle route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24188770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ziggymia123/pseuds/Ziggymia123
Summary: "Nate nodded and forced himself to move back to the small kitchen table. It was probably just a nightmare. It wasn’t strange that she would be having one now. He might have been even more worried if she really was just fine and eager to know more about everything. But that still did nothing to ease the sudden urge to scoop Ivy into his arms and run his fingers through her hair until she fell back asleep, her head nestled into the crook of his neck."Ivy and Nate have a moment alone while waiting for Murphy to make his next move.
Relationships: Female Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Tea is the Best Calming Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Wayhaven fic (or posting on AO3 in general!) so I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm very excited for you to read it. Enjoy!

Nate nodded as Adam left the apartment, his phone already against his ear. Hopefully that meant that the Agency had finally found something about Murphy. Some information would do everyone good. The detective had been an incredibly gracious host, but it was obvious that the constant company was beginning to wear on her. Although that may have also been a reaction to Farah trying to juggle the heavy, silver decorations that she was apparently very fond of. 

At least both Farah and Morgan were out of the apartment for the moment patrolling the complex. That left Nate alone, skimming through the titles on the detective’s bookshelf and smiling at the rather sizable collection of vampire fiction. He slid one of the books out to look at the cover and had to clear his throat. Make that a rather sizable collection of erotic vampire fiction. Nate quickly put the book back, trying and failing to ignore the fact that the heroine on the cover had the same long, strawberry blonde hair as the woman sleeping in the next room. 

That comment that Farah made about the detective swooning into Nate’s arms suddenly didn’t – 

There was a small, stuttering cry from the next room. Nate flashed to the door. “Ivy?” 

She squeaked. “Yeah?” 

Nate frowned, hand on the doorknob as he listened to her racing, unsteady heart. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. There was a long pause before she answered. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Nate nodded and forced himself to move back to the small kitchen table. It was probably just a nightmare. It wasn’t strange that she would be having one now. He might have been even more worried if she really was just fine and eager to know more about everything. But that still did nothing to ease the sudden urge to scoop Ivy into his arms and run his fingers through her hair until she fell back asleep, her head nestled into the crook of his neck. The mental image brought a small smile to his lips. 

He looked up as the bedroom door opened and Ivy stepped out, a throw blanket wrapped around her like a cape. Her face was still pale, but there was more than enough humor in her eyes as she surveyed the mostly empty room. “What? You draw the short straw or something?”

“Hm?” 

“Must be some reason why you got stuck on babysitting duty while everyone else ditched.” 

“Maybe I volunteered. I like being here,” he met her eyes, “with you.” 

Ivy held his gaze, color returning to her cheeks. But the moment didn’t last long. The apartment creaked, old wood settling, and she barely held back a flinch. She held up a hand to ward off Nate’s question and headed into the kitchen. He got up, shifting so that he could lean his forearms on the island as Ivy pulled out a beautiful glass teapot. It put the poor, dented electric kettle in the corner to shame. 

“Special occasion,” she said by way of explanation. Nate just nodded. A comfortable silence descended as Ivy slowly and purposefully brewed a fresh pot of tea. It was the most care that Nate had ever seen the detective put into… well, anything. She wasn’t exactly the most careful and cautious person, something that he knew frustrated Adam and amused Farah to no end. Maybe if Adam was here, if he saw Ivy like this, he would better understand why Nate couldn’t help but feel drawn to her whenever they were in the same room, a planet orbiting a star. 

It only took a few minutes for the tea to finish. Ivy poured two cups, sliding the carton of milk towards Nate with a wink. She didn’t add her normal sugar to the tea. She just wrapped her fingers around the cup and held it to her chest. 

“You look better,” Nate told her. 

Ivy’s eyebrow quirked, but the expected sarcastic reply didn’t come. Instead, she shrugged. “One of my nannies used to make me tea whenever I couldn’t sleep. It was our little magic ritual.” She rubbed a thumb back and forth against the rim of her cup, thoughtful. “Maybe literally.” 

“Still excited that the supernatural is real?” Nate asked, half-teasing in order to get her to smile again. She did, even if she also rolled her eyes. 

“Yes. It’s the same answer as the last dozen times you guys asked. I’ve always loved this kind of stuff! Hell, just look at my bookshelf.” 

The image on the cover that Nate had been looking at only a few minutes prior suddenly flashed through his mind. “I have. There are definitely some intriguing titles there.” 

Ivy looked at the bookshelf, confused for a moment before she realized just what he was referring to. Her heart skipped a beat as she returned her gaze to Nate. She placed her cup to the side and mimicked Nate’s posture, placing her forearms inside of his. He leaned closer as she did until her face was the only thing that he could see, that he could even think about focusing on. 

“I was disappointed when you said that the books were all made up. I had hoped that some of the things were true,” she said quietly, turning her hand so that her fingers could ghost along his arm. 

“Anything specific in mind?” 

Her eyes darted down to his lips. 

Nate gave a tiny nod. 

The door to the apartment opened. 

Ivy immediately jumped back, heat staining her cheeks red. Nate’s hand shot out to grab her cup before she could knock it over and spill it. He turned, fighting to hold his frustrations in check so that he wouldn’t snap at whoever just crashed into their orbit like a meteor. Adam let the door behind him slam shut with more force than necessary as he stared at them, back wound tight as a spring and lips pressed so tight together they almost disappeared. 

No, not at them. At Ivy, who seemed to have no issues matching his glare. 

“Any news?” Nate asked, hoping to dispel the rapidly growing tension. It still took Adam a moment to snap out of it. 

“No. Just another dead end.” 

“I should go back to bed,” Ivy muttered, placing the teapot and cup in the sink to deal with in the morning. 

“Thanks for the tea,” he said with a small smile. Ivy returned it and it was more than enough to bring the fizzle of excitement back to his veins. He couldn’t help but watch her as she returned to her bedroom, pausing just long enough inside of the doorway to look back one last time. The door closed behind her with a quiet click.


End file.
